I'm Moving On
by BeautifulAccola
Summary: My own little take on Stefan and Elena's breakup and how Stefan finally moved on from the love that wasn't for him anymore.


"I can't do this, Elena…Not anymore." I said to the love of my life as we sat on her front porch.

She just looked at me and nodded, "I know…"

What was I expecting? For her to beg me not to do this? I knew from the moment I saw Damon carry her into the house, soaking wet, that she wasn't mine anymore.

I don't think she ever was…I fooled myself into believing that Elena and I could pick up where we left off. But I ruined it, when I became the Ripper, I pushed them together.

It's not that I blame them, they love each other and you can't help who you love. I just seem to always love the person that isn't right for me. And I faced it, Elena isn't the one…Not for me. No matter how much I want her to be, she isn't the person I'm supposed to spend forever with. She's supposed to spend forever with Damon, I've always known that.

I was just too selfish to admit it…

"What do we do now?" Elena asked quietly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I'm gonna leave town…Just for a few days…To give us all time to clear our heads…Connor's dead, you're…sane…Everything seems okay now…" I shrugged.

She nodded a little, "Well…I'm going to go inside and…rest." She said as she stood and wiped her palms on the front of her jeans.

I stood too and looked at her, "I'll see you later, I guess."

"Be careful…Just that we aren't…together, that doesn't mean that I don't care about you." She smiled at me.

I nodded, knowing that she'd always care about me…Whereas I will always love her.

She took me by surprise, she hugged me and kissed me. I knew in my heart that it was her way of saying goodbye, of ending this rollercoaster of a relationship.

I kissed her with all the love I could, knowing it wouldn't be enough to keep her. I wasn't the one that she wanted, not anymore.

* * *

I picked up the picture frame of myself and Elena, when we were happy together. Before all this Klaus mess happened…Before I messed everything up.

I can't blame anyone but myself…Slowly, I put the frame in my bag and covered it with my journal and a few sets of clothes.

"Where do you think you're going?" I heard Damon's voice from my bedroom doorway.

I sighed as I zipped up my duffel bag, "I'm leaving town, Damon." I told him as I walked out of my room with the bag in hand.

"What? Why?" He asked confused as he followed me to the front door.

"Elena and I broke up." No point in beating around the bush, I should let him know now.

He looked at me in a mixture of shock and guilt. "I'm sure you two will work it out soon…You always do…"

"Not this time, brother. We both ended it…It was a mutual thing. She loves you, Damon…Don't screw it up like I did." I told him as I gave him a tight smile.

Damon looked at me in confusion, processing my words, but I didn't let him reply. I just turned around and walked out of our house.

* * *

So many memories flashed through my mind…One memory in particular…

When Elena and I kissed as the comet passed overhead…I thought it was the start of something amazing…How wrong I was.

As I drove, I realized I was driving toward Wickery Bridge. I sighed as Elena's voice still rang through my ears.

"Stefan stop it!" "You had me!"

Her tear stained face will forever be burned into my mind, the one thing I promised I would never do is the one thing I always did.

I always hurt her…

* * *

As I drove passed Elena's house, I heard her and Damon talking, I parked so I could hear what they were discussing.

"He'll be back…He's just being dramatic, Elena." I heard Damon tell her.

"I feel like I drove him away…I hurt him and now he has to leave. It's not my fault, I know, but I can't help but feel guilty Damon!" I heard Elena cry.

"Stop…He made his choice…You made yours…And I'm making mine. I'm here, Elena. He left and I won't. Okay?"

I assumed that she nodded, because the next words that I heard her whisper broke me in ways I never thought possible.

"I love you, Damon…Don't leave me."

I felt tears threaten to fall down my face, so I sighed and turned the car back on and drove away.

But I wasn't fast enough, I still heard my brother whisper to the love of my life; "I love you too…I promised you I'd never leave you again…I meant it, 'Lena."

* * *

"You said a few days. It's been two months, Stefan! When the hell are you coming home?!" I chuckled as I listened to Caroline rant over the phone.

"I still don't know yet…How're Damon and Elena?" I asked hesitantly.

"They're okay…Together and they seem happy…How are you?"

I was so thankful for having a good friend like her, she worried about me and knew how much all this hurts. "I'm okay, I guess. I'm coping without her…I miss her and Damon but I know they need their time to come together and have time to be happy. If I go back…She'll feel guilty and she'll hurt him."

I heard Caroline sigh, "Well you are far too selfless…They looked for you for a good two weeks"

"I know…I saw them and ran. I didn't want to speak to them." I told her as I crossed the busy New York street.

"Well…Come home soon, or at the very least call more often. Don't forget that you have friends here, not just Elena and Damon…"

I immediately felt guilty for leaving her behind, because in all honesty, she was my only best friend now. She was exactly like Lexi and I loved that, I needed that.

"I know, Care…I'll see you soon, I promise." I told her, hoping she believed me.

"Ok…Well I have to go…I have a date with…Klaus…" She said hesitantly.

"What?!" I nearly yelled at her.

"That's how we got the hybrid for Jeremy to kill...I agreed to go on a date with him…" She admitted sheepishly.

"That was two months ago, Caroline." I said in confusion.

"Okay fine…We've been going on a few dates…Well a lot of dates for the past two months…It's…complicated. Elena and Damon don't like me very much right now."

I sighed, "Has the "L" word been tossed out yet?"

Her voice hiked up two notches, "What? No way!"

I smiled, knowing that she was lying. "Well…I'm happy for you…Just be careful, okay?"

She sighed, knowing that she had been caught, "Thanks Stefan."

"Of course…See you later."

"I love you, Stefan!" She said in her bubbly voice.

I knew how she meant it, because I felt the same way for her, she was my best friend, my surrogate sister, "I love you too, Care." I smiled before hanging up.

* * *

Years had passed since that day. I finally mustered up the courage to go back to Mystic Falls…It was all because of Caroline.

It was her wedding this weekend and I couldn't, wouldn't, miss it for the world…So I had to go back and face my former _epic love_ and my brother.

"Stefan!" I heard Caroline yell in happiness as I stepped into her house.

No more than two seconds later, I was wrapped in her arms in a tight hug.

"I've missed you too, Care Bear." I chuckled as I hugged her back.

"I haven't seen you in five weeks, let me just hug and be happy." She giggled.

"Where's Nik?" I asked when she finally let go of me.

"Oh he's out with his brothers. They wanted to give him as much bachelor time as possible before I "steal him away"." She mocked Kol.

"Oh and…They're on their way. Sorry I didn't give you enough reaction time." She said apologetically as I heard car doors slam outside.

I shrugged to let her know that it was okay, when Elena came in and smiled at us, "Hey…I didn't know you were here yet. Damon!" She called out to him as I saw Damon pulling in bags from the car.

"Hello, brother…Long time no see." Damon smiled a bit at me, I knew he was being cautious so I smiled at him and hugged him.

"I've missed you, brother."

Caroline smiled as she and Elena started talking.

Damon was still hugging me, "You're not angry with me?" He asked hesitantly.

I shook my head, "No…I'm happy for you. For both of you."

He smiled at me, "Well good…Because…" He trailed off and looked to Elena.

"I'm going to be your sister in law, so, it's a good thing you're so happy." Elena finished for him and smiled at me.

If this had been five years ago, I would've been heartbroken to know that my brother was marrying her. But now?

Now I felt…happy…It didn't bother me at all, really.

"Well congratulations. When's the wedding?" I asked with a smile.

"We haven't decided yet…Still arguing over dates." Elena said as she gave Damon a sour look.

"It's her fault…She doesn't want to get married on Halloween…My birthday…She has no idea how awesome it would be."

"I want a Christmas themed wedding." Elena complained.

Caroline and I did nothing but laugh at them.

"Just have two weddings. Nik and I are." Caroline spoke up and that shut the couple up.

"Well…That sounds like a good idea…" They said together.

"See? Problem averted. Now we can all be one big happy family while our little Caroline gets married." I smiled as I heard a car park outside.

"Who's that?" Elena asked curiously.

"Surprise!" My angel's voice rang through the house, I smiled as she came and jumped into my arms before kissing me.

I kissed her back with all my love as Elena and Damon stared in shock.

"L-Lexi?" Damon asked in surprise.

"Yup. Bonnie is one powerful witch, Damon…She brought me back a few years ago." Lexi told them as I wrapped my arms around her. "Hi Care!"

Caroline smiled and waved as Elena smiled at me.

"I'm happy for you." She mouthed to me.

I smiled at her, finally able to without pain in my heart.

We all moved on from the petty little dramas that seemed so huge before and now we all could finally be happy.

* * *

_Playlist:_

_I'm Movin' On - Rascal Flatts_


End file.
